Scott Skiles Win Quotations

We'd like to come out and win the first quarter. Both games, they've given us a body blow right off the jump and we just haven't been ready enough.

We need to play 40-plus minutes of really good basketball. The last couple games, we've got 30-plus, but that's not good enough at this level to win the game.

We want to make sure we do not fall too far behind. We've dug ourselves a hole and it is pretty simple: We have to dig ourselves out or we do not make it. At some point we are going to have to win some games in a row.

If we go down 3-1 and go to their building, then the odds become long again. We need to win the next game to really make it a series.

We're not worried about where we are. We were 10 games under .500 in March and that would be quite a comeback if we win on Wednesday (and finish 41-41).

We've got to put together a string at some time. It doesn't mean we have to put together seven in a row or anything like that. At some point, we have to win five of six and maybe add another four out of five in there.

Our defense was good again tonight and we needed it. We sort of went cold in the second half. We went 12-for-42 in the second half. To win a game when you only make 12 field goals in the second half, obviously our defense was good.

Most games, when you have more field goals than your opponent, you win in our league. For us, most times, we haven't won. We just juggle players because of foul trouble too much, and we've had a hard time to stop it.

We know the odds are still long. We know how difficult it is when you fall behind. We are already thinking about the next game. If we go down 3-1 and go into their building, the odds become long again. We need to win the next game to really make it a series.

We haven't played well of late. It's obvious for anybody to see. In order for us to win an NBA game, we have to play a lot better than we've been playing.

We did what we had to do. We needed both of these games and we got it done. They won at home and we won at home. We know going into the series we have to win one in their building assuming you win at home. This makes it a series right now. We'll go down there and do our best.

We did what we had to do. We had to win this game. We played better, but they didn't play like they played in Miami.

We should have won that second game of the season at New Jersey. We missed a free throw and gave up a three-point play basically at the buzzer. It's a game we felt like we should have won. I guess it is nice to pull out a win against a team that's dominated us.

With 18 games to go they do not get much bigger. It is not as if we don't win we are out of it, or if we do win it does anything devastating to Milwaukee. It is just a very important game.

We kind of felt at halftime it was one of our poorer halves in quite a while. But it was a great second half for us. We were much more aggressive defensively and had at least 25 points off turnovers. It was a quality win against a team playing as well as anyone in the league right now.

We had a decent shot to win the game with 18 seconds to go.

We just have to watch him -- that's why he's taking days off of practice -- and make sure he's not overdoing it. But if he's able to play, we'll play him and worry about each game one by one. If he has to overplay tonight to win the game, that's what we'll have to do.

We just gave them 25 points off turnovers and it's tough to win when you do that. I'm concerned about this one good half, one bad half routine, one good quarter, one bad quarter that we've been in and just the carelessness with the ball. And, a lack of respect for the basketball out there was pretty amateurish.

To win a game where we only make 12 field goals in the second half, obviously our defense is good. I thought we were very active and it won the game for us.

This is a win we are grateful to have. It was a great comeback.

This is probably our season right here, to either get back in it or not. Obviously, we have to win our home games.

The way they've closed the season speaks to what kind of group this is. We've had many opportunities to let the games go by, win a couple, lose a couple, and go on vacation (after the regular season). I think every chance, when that presented itself, the guys fought their way out of it. They've earned themselves a very good season.

It's a 50-plus win team with two of the top 10 players in the league (O'Neal, Dwayne Wade). With Shaq, we'll try to collapse on him when he catches it and then make him play inside-out. With Dwayne, we'll just do our best to get help and make him play in a crowd.

I told the guys after the game, 'I'm going to find the lineups, as best I can, that'll help us win the game.

You can't stray far from our formula that we win with, ... A lot of situations where athletically we're a little overmatched, we know we've got to make up for it by defending and hustle.